A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)
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First published 1971 (DOST Vol. IV).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Quotation dates: 1565-1612, 1666-1686
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Mering, n. Also: meryne, mearin(g. [e.m.E. mearing, meering, (1574) the fixing of boundaries, (1616, Irish) concr. a boundary, f. Mere n.2; also in mod. Eng. dial. In mod. Sc. dial., as in Older Sc., only north.] In north Scotland: A strip of land marking a boundary, a ‘balk’ or ridge of uncultivated land serving as a boundary. 1565 (1574) Reg. Great S. 587/1.
Lie meringis de Ballecherich 1567 Inverness Rec. I. 156. 1576 (1577) Reg. Great S. 753/2.
An ald grene mering quhilk devydis the intoun of Eister Aird fra the hiltoun thairof 1607 Inverness Rec. II. 50.
Ewin just vest as the mering and merche lyis betwix the said aicker [etc.] 1612 Old Ross-shire I. 347.
Passand S. lineallie at N.W. end of ane meryne quhilk devydit the proper lands of Culcairne 1666-74 Fraser Polichron. 477.
A tenant … had plowed a field near the shore, lay land, causing digg about the stones in mearins 1686 Inverness Rec. II. 342.
Have several years bygone encroatched upon the saids supplicants lands by tilling the mearings betwixt their lands and by raising of march stones 1686 Ib. 343.
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"Mering n.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 13 Dec 2025 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/dost/mering>
